Marco Arment on Google’s position in social networking and thwarting competitive threats:

It’s easy not to “be evil” when you’re ahead. But when you’re backed into a corner and your usual strategies aren’t working, it’s easy to get frustrated, scared, and angry, and throw previously held morals and standards out the window.

Be sure to also read his footnote, as it is a great summary of the interesting wording chosen for Google’s mantra.